Recreational activities

You would not believe how much stuff is going on here after working hours. There is a full-sized basketball court in the building which allows for all kinds of sports to be played. All offered recreational activities are announced daily via TV screen in the dining hall, so that everybody knows what’s going on. So far I have seen announcements for Salsa dancing lessons, Swing dancing lessons, Kung Fu lessons, movie nights, basketball and badminton games, circuit training, and weekly “Stich‘n’Bitch” meetings (where people meet to knit and talk). In the station store, there are shelves of DVD which you can borrow (for no cost), and there is a library, a music room, an arts room (with all kind of things you would need to do handcrafts), a sauna, and of course, the weight room (with an erg! I checked!). The station store is also the only place where you can buy liquor. And the price is actually reasonable! Since I am still on altitude sickness drugs, I have not had a drop of alcohol since I arrived. But I might change that sometime during the week. On Sunday evenings there are science lectures, and I heard a guy from the meteorological service here talk about the special weather conditions at the South Pole two days ago. Quite interesting. There is also a ski hut where you can borrow cross-country skis. Since there are no hills here at all, cross-country skiing or running/walking are the only outdoor things I heard of (and can think of) that you can do here, sports-wise.

I have not tried out any of the recreational activities, beside the science talk on Sunday. I still take it easy with the exercise (because of the altitude), but I want to try at least the Kung Fu class once, and definitely sit on the erg!